Jacked Athlete 31
Speed
-Plyo pushups (from floor) 6 x 5
-Speed DL 6 x 5 @ 135
-Speed Incl Db Rows 6 x 5 @ 40s
-Bike Sprint 6 x 5 @ 12 seconds
Bike sprints suck.
That is all.
Weight: ???
Jacked Athlete 31
Speed
-Plyo pushups (from floor) 6 x 5
-Speed DL 6 x 5 @ 135
-Speed Incl Db Rows 6 x 5 @ 40s
-Bike Sprint 6 x 5 @ 12 seconds
Bike sprints suck.
That is all.
Weight: ???
Jacked Athlete 31
CAT
CSHB Squat 6 x 3 @ 185
-Bench Press 6 x 3 @ 160
-RDL 6 x 3 @ 185
-DB Row 6 x 3 @ 78lbs
Today was compensatory acceleration training at 70-percent of max. Or thereabouts.
This was, essentially, technique work. Each lift has its own groove, which is much easier to find with slow eccentrics.
Also, a lesson I keep relearning: getting my big, stupid head higher on the bench puts me in a much better position to press. Lately, my pressing has felt extra weak; I realized today I was essentially doing half a barbell pullover to get into position. Not wise.
This wraps up block two. Lots of testing maxes next block. Tomorrow is arms, followed by a week of bodybuilding between blocks.
I always feel better after CAT workouts, just not quite good enough to step on the scale.
Jacked Athlete 31
A1. Incline DB Press 40s x12, 50s x 10, 8+3 RP
A2. BB Curl 45 x 12, 55 x 12, 10 + 3 RP
B1. Dips BW x 10, 10, 9 + 3 RP
B2. Hammer Curl 20s x 10, 10, 8 + 3 RP
C1. Scoop fly 10s (lol) x 10, 10, 9 + 4 RP
C2. Rev curl 10s x 12, 12, 10 + 5 RP
Bodybuilding week!
I skipped the gap workout on Saturday to go fishing on the Scioto River. I kayaked about four miles and caught surprisingly few fish. This was probably the universe telling me my arms need work.
I may squeeze a gap workout in this Saturday… unless there are more opportunities for fishing.
This bodybuilding block, the third set is rest-pause. Thibs suggests adding a drop set the final block. I’m not convinced I should do anything different next month during the bodybuilding week; I don’t believe I will have fully adapted to rest-pause training after one workout per bodypart. That’d be nuts.
My weight is hovering around 173…about where I want it.
After this program, I thinking a month of conditioning and fat loss should precede another 12 weeks of Jacked Athlete 31, tweaked to have more of a bodybuilding and strength focus.
Jacked Athlete 31
A1. Squats 185 x 12, 10, 6 + 3RP
A2. Banded leg curl x 12, 10, 9 +3RP
B1. RDL 165 x 12, 180 x 8, 6 + 2RP
B2. Gob Squat 80s x 10, 9, 8 + 4RP
Even with a month between workouts, I was notably stronger today. I was probably good to squat 185 x 14, but followed the plan and left two reps in reserve. A 1Rep Max calculator predicts my max to be in the mid to upper 200s with 3 training weeks remaining. While paltry by most standards, lifting without low back pain–and continuing to make progress after Covid–is a huge win for me.
Whenever I perform big lower body lifts superset style, I get significantly weaker set to set. There was a lot overlap with today’s quad and hamstring training; it was like my hip flexors or abs, or low back, gave up before my legs did. I’ve always been this way
Today’s workout placed a lot of demand on my cardio, serving as a stern reminder that it’s nearing time to get back into shape. Next block, the gap workouts are conditioning sessions. Let’s go!
Jacked Athlete 31
A1. Close-grip chins BW + 20lbs x 10, 9, 6+3RP
A2. Close-grip bench 145 x 12, 12, 9+3RP
B1. Incl DB Rows 60s x 12, 11, 10+3RP
B2. OH DB Raise 45 x 10, 10, 9+3RP
C1. DB Pullover 60 x 9, 9, 6+3RP
C2. Band pressdowns x 12, 12, 9+3RP
The idea this week is to take the second set of each superset to failure, rest fully, then do a rest-pause set.
I dunno if rest pause sets are a case wherr the juice is fully worth the squeeze, but…my arms looked hyoooge afterwards, I mean respectably huge for a 5’11" 173lb middle-aged man.
I was happy with the weights I used today, absolutely felt like a chinning king. In addition, I appreciate the value of the bodybuilding week more and more, and definitely feel better during it.
I was wondering how the program would hold up if alternating three strength/bodybuilding weeks with a bodybuilding/conditioning week.
I think I might try it.
Classic “Ed Coan 12 week peaking plan.”
Russian 6 week Squat routine US coaches brought back from a trip to Russia in the 80s.
Josh Bryant 7 week deadlift routine with %
Some joker’s 4 week plan with deload, from the internet.
Thanks @FlatsFarmer !
Is the idea behind the Coan progression one big lift, with assistance work, per day each week?
Who’s the joker?
There’s a little write up in here.
I don’t know who the joker is, that little table just came up when I searched for the other stuff.
Gotcha. I bet, whoever he is, he eats loads of celery and has maximum horsepower…or something.
Thanks again, the Coan progression was prerry much exactly what I’d been looking for, although the percentages are strangely specific.
Jacked Athlete 31
Squat 45, 95, 135, 175, 205, 225, 240 x 3
Bench 45, 95, 135, 165, 185, 205 x 3
RDL 45, 95, 135, 175, 205, 230 x 3
One Arm DB Row 60, 80, 100, 110 x 3
This week, Monday’s workout involves ramping to a clean 3RM. I’ll use 85% of these numbers for volume work on Wednesday.
Of all the qualities this plan trains, strength is currently the most important to me. I’m nearing the strongest I’ve been, though bench seems to be lagging a bit. In the past, I’ve usually shifted focus to getting leaner, ultimately spinning my wheels year after year.
Not this time.
This fall/winter, I want to keep chasing strength goals and add in some moderate conditioning. The precise goal numbers will have to wait until I figure out how strong I am now. In any case, I bet I could add 30lbs to squats and RDLs, maybe half that to bench press, wherever those lifts may land.
Weight: 174
Jacked Athlete 31
Volume 85% of 3RM
Squat 5x3 @ 205
Bench 5x3 @ 175
RDL 5x3 @ 195
One Arm DB Row 5x3 @ 94
The program called for a circuit workout today, but I opted in favor of a strength strategy from a different program–taking 85% of the week’s RM (3, 2, or 1), and doing five triples with it. I’m an adult and don’t have to do circuit workouts if I don’t wanna…and I didn’t wanna.
I treated this workout as a continuation of the CAT workouts last block, slowing notably on the final rep. I went in with a sore throat and cold; I felt waaaay better by the time I was done. Funny how that works, sometimes.
My weight is hovering around 174.
Jacked Athlete 31
Complexes (Friday)
Jump Squat 4x5 @ 52lbs
Speed Squat 4x5 @ 165lbs
*Ballistic OH Press 4x5 @ 16lbs
Speed Incline Bench 4x5 @ 110lbs
KB Swing 4x5 @ 50lbs
Speed DL 4x5 @ 185lbs
Not sure what these accomplish, other than make me feel powerful af the rest of the day… and remind me to foam roll my hamstrings.
*Supposed to use increasingly heavier medicine balls week to week. I have one med ball, so I opted for DBs. Will this lead to less jacked delts? Almost certainly. Do I care? Yes, yes I do…just not enough to buy two more medicine balls.
Physical Labor (Saturday)
12 or 13 rounds of
DL @ 205 x 3
NG Chins @ BW x 3
Clean and Press @ 20s x 5
Anyhow Walk 30lbs x 20 steps
…in about 28 minutes. I may or may not have forgotten to record a round; I may or may not have been able to squeeze in another round before my 30 minutes expired. In any case, it was the longest sustained effort I’ve made towards conditioning since May. I was able to finish 17-18 rounds 18 months ago.
As I currently gasp for air, it’ll have to do.
Weight: oddly hovering around 173 as I feel bloated and disgusting
Jacked Athlete 31
Squat 45, 95, 135, 175, 205, 225, 245, 255 x 2
Bench 45, 95, 135, 165, 185, 205, 215 x 2
RDL 135, 175, 205, 225, 245 x 2
One Arm DB Row 60, 80, 100, 120 x 2
This went relatively well. I hit all the weights with solid form, without getting amped up or snorting 50
mg of Adderall. (Actually, I have no idea whether people do this. It seems like they should, though. Sounds badass).
The plan calls for Ramping to a 1RM next week, but I’m going to pass on that. Gym 1RMs are for young dudes and future invalids–oh, and social media influencers.
I did notice that, after weeks of single-rep cluster sets, I crushed every first rep, becoming waaaay weaker on the second. If I were to guess rough estimates of my max lifts: Squat 275/Bench 235/RDL 255, DB Row 130.
The lift that surprises me most is bench press–it hasn’t bounced back to spring '24 levels as quickly as the other lifts. Then again, I maybe, maybe could’ve pressed 220 x 2 today; if I did, I’d have been thrilled with my progress.
I’ll get in some volume work Wednesday, using the lengthy rests between sets to ponder how to bring this block to a close and what to do next. I wanna get jackeder and stronger…just not completely sure how I wanna get there.
Weight: 173ish
Jacked Athlete 31
Volume 85% of 2RM
Squat 5x3 @ 215
Bench 5x3 @ 185
RDL 5x3 @ 210
One Arm DB Row 5x3 @ 102.5
Meh. By keeping rests to 1.5–2min, this was a lot of work–at least it felt that way. Since summer, I often feel kinda flat, struggling to get my head into workouts. Lately, there’s no excitement, fear, aspiration, or apprehension: I’m just accumulating work. Maybe, in the long run, that’s good?
I’m not amped to hit new PRs like I was six months ago; excitement doesn’t build set to set like it did before as I impress myself with my performance.
I think this may mean it’s time for a break. I’m leaning towards wrapping this block up a bit early, taking a week off, then beginning the program anew, possibly dropping to three main exercises per session.
Weight: 173-174